Asia Pacific to need quarter of a million new pilots

Airlines based in the Asia Pacific region will need to find more than a quarter of a million new pilots over the next 20 years, Boeing has predicted.

According to the “2017 Pilot and Technician Outlook”, which was released at an event in the US this week, 253,000 pilots are expected to be required by the region’s carriers between now and 2036. This accounts for 39.7% of the global total and more than double the number needed by any other region.

North America is second with an expected requirement of 117,000 pilots, followed by Europe (106,000) and the Middle East (63,000).

Globally, the aviation industry is expected to require a total of 637,000 new commercial airline pilots by 2036, which marks a 3.2% increase compared to Boeing’s previous forecast.

In addition, Boeing’s report reveals the need for 839,000 new flight attendants over the next two decades, 308,000 of which will be employed by airlines in the Asia Pacific region – 36.7% of the global total.

This need for new pilots and cabin crew is being driven by rising passenger demand, which in turn is leading to spiralling demand for new commercial aircraft. Boeing expects that the total global commercial air fleet will double in size in the next 20 years, as airlines take delivery of more than 41,000 new aircraft.